Method of manufacturing wire cloth belts



1934- J. R. BUCHANAN ET AL 1,979,063

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING WIRE CLOTH BELTS Filed Feb. 20, 1953 //v Vf/VTORS Jofin Rob er! Buchanan Thomas 1' W, ,5)

Patented Oct. 30, 1934 PATENT QOFFICE METHOD or MANUFACTURING WIRE CLOTH BELTS John Robert Buchanan and Thomas Michael Gray, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Application February 20, 1933, Serial No. 657,556 In Canada January 10, 1933 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a method of manufacturing wire cloth belts such as the conventional Fourdrinier or paper machine wires and appertains particularly to the 5 reinforcing of the ends of the cloth about to be joined.

The principal object of the invention is to reinforce the joined ends of the cloth immediately adjacent to the seam thereby taking part of the strain off and relieving the load on the warp wires in this area, since it has been found possible to provide an efiicient seam to equal the life of the belt and the point of weakness appears now to lie along either side of the joint where the warp wires have shown a tendency to disintegrate.

A further-object of the invention is to reinforce the ends of the cloth with a wire whipping, each individual stitch of which is anchored when the cloth ends are joined so that in the event of one stitch breaking the wire cannot run and only the reinforcement of the single broken stitch is lost.

A still further object of the invention is to produce an endless belt of the nature and for the purposes described provided with a fused or soldered joint with the adjacent parts of the clcth on both sides thereof reinforced by a whipping intermittently anchored in the joint, that offers a minimum of drainage resistance and lies smooth and thin so as not to mark the sheet of paper.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall appear more fully as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the method of manufacturing this improved endless belt with a smooth reinforced seam so perfeet that it will out-last the fabric in the body of the belt, leaving no perceptible mark on the sheet of paper and serving with as much efliciency and satisfaction as if the warp wires were manufactured in continuous unbroken loops.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawing forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing, a plan view of the improved reinforced seam is shown.

Our allowed patent application Number 515,- 490 that matured in Patent #1,909,914 on May 16, 1933, relates to a belt made from a sheet of wire cloth fabric by fusing or soldering the warp ends that are butted together and in our allowed patent application Number 532,803 that matured in Patent #1,908,402 on May 9, 1933, we have disclosed a method of and apparatus for so joining the ends of the fabric. Wire cloth belts of the Fourdrinier or paper machine wire type thus produced have demonstrated a seam 69 or joint in which drainage resistance has ceased to be a factor, the sheet of paper was unmarked, the very seam in the belt itself defying detection and yet of such strength that it stood up under actual working conditions to out-last the body of the fabric.

Practice has however suggested that reinforcement is needed adjacent the seam, in the immediate vicinity on both sides thereof. The fused or welded or soldered warp wires at their point 70 of junction are probably more rigid, or the transverse seam as a whole a little stiffer than the rest of the fabric belt perhaps because of the added metal at the joint or because of the heating treatment employed so that the warp wires may not flex as freely. At any rate in some cases certain of the warp wires will disintegrate or break down under the extra load at this point on account thereof.

To remedy this possible weakness, we whip the ends of the wire cloth about to be joined, not to spread the load on the end shoot or weft wire back over the next three or four as in the old sewn seam since the weft wires take no part of the burden in our present seam, but to reinforce the warp wires at their weakest point at and near the seam and to distribute any added strain or load or flexing on them at this point back over the adjacent surrounding area. This whippingv has new significance and takes on an added value in this belt over the old sewn ones for it is anchored at intervals in the seam so that should the whipping wire fracture at any point it could not run and no break would occur in the belt.

The two ends A and B of a Wire cloth are each sewn with a whipping wire C extending back beyond the desired number of weft or shoot wires and then braised or soldered or welded or fused thereby anchoring the exposed end of each stitch of the whipping to the respective wire cloth end A or B. Preferably solder is used and applied in a continuous row of spots across the entire width of each end serving also to bind the warp wires to the last weft wire as described in our previous patents referred to above and in this relation the stitches of the whipping become as added or auxiliary warp wires. The ends of the wire cloth are then filed to clear off the tails or warp ends and provide flatted butting that did not reach to the exposed end of the wire cloth, these would not necessarily .be soldered since the row-of solder spots is primarily for the joining of the warp wires to the last weft or shoot and the warp ends 'butted together in the seam; nevertheless the solder effectively anchors each stitch rendering them individually independent and 1 thereby strength ening the seam and greatly reinforcing the' adjacent areas of the belt. 7

From the foregoing description taken :in .con-

neotion with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that an improved-methodcfmanufacturing wire cloth belts is providedbvm-eans of which more efficient and durable beltscan'be produced but as changes could be made in the "descriptionand variations in the exact letter or carrying u out the 1 method without @departing from-the spiritor scope of: the appended claims it intended. that all matters 1 contained in. the foregoing-shall be interpretedcas illustrative and not 1 limitative or restrictive sense.

:H-aving thus described the-invention, what is claimedras'rnew. is:

-1. A method "ofumanuiacturing wire cloth belts in which the warp ends are L joined by brazing, soldering, welding or fusing consistingtof Jfirst reinforcing the ends or" the I cloth.

A 'methodof manufacturing wireLcioth belts consisting of ireiniorci'ngi the ends of :the wire cloth'and then joining the warp ends thereof.

:3. "A process of manufacturing wire cloth belts consisting of lfirst reinforcing the ends of the cloth-back beyond several-woof wires and then joining-the'warp ends of same.

4. A method of manufacturing'wire' cloth belts consisting :of first reinforcing theends of the cloth, anchoring the reinforcing and then. joining the ends of the cloth.

5. A method of manufacturing wire cloth belts consisting of first whipping the ends of the cloth to reinforce them, anchoring the whipping and then joining the ends of the cloth.

6. A method of manufacturing wire cloth belts consistingzof-whipping the ends-of the cloth to bejoined to reinfo'rce themyanchoring each individual stitch of the whipping and then joining the ends of the cloth.

:7; A method of manufacturing wire cloth belts consisting of first whipping the ends of the cloth ;-to =reihforce -the'rn, anchoring each individual stitch --with a row of solder along the edges of -the-oloth to be joined and then joining the same. 8.!A-method2of manufacturing wire cloth belts consisting of first whipping the ends of the cloth to reinforcethem' by'sewing back beyond several er the woof wires, anchoring each individual xstitch with 'a row of solder along the edges of the cloth to be joined and then joining them by the applicationloflheat.

9. ni processsoi manufacturingawire: clothxbelts consisting ci hrs-t hipping; thetendsrofitheicloth to reinforce :them, anchoring each individual stitch w-ith i-solderialong "the very :edge 1 of 1' each end of the cloth, filing the ends to clearaoff the warp tails= :andlprovide ;a iflattene'd abutting 1 ace andthenjoining the ends.

10. A method sof imanutacturing wire cloth belts, known Pas Fourdrinier or paper machine first :whip'ping ithe two ends of the e dined; to zr'einforce: them by sewing several woofz'wire's:an'd.then anchorwires, by fabric t back he ing'each individualsstitchioflthe whipping with I a row iof solder Lalohg -:the sedges :or ends to :be joined, filing the ends to removemailstorwarp ends and to pro'videz ansmooth weven surface on hothedges, and 'then ljroiningrsaid edgesor ends by the lappiicationfoftheatinti.the point where the same contact.

- J OHN :ROBER I :BUCH'ANAN.

EIBHOMASs-MICHAEL CRAY; 

